Against Me SHAPE SHIFT WITH(LP)

Laura Jane Grace treated Transgender Dysphoria Blues as a coming-out party, letting every aspect of her sexuality flood out in a torrent. After such a lacerating album, where does one go? Shape Shift with Me, an album recorded with a new lineup of Against Me! that's still anchored by Grace and guitarist James Bowman, goes a long way toward addressing that question. As an album, Shape Shift with Me doesn't feel as urgent as Transgender Dysphoria Blues. It's not just that Grace unleashed all her pent-up emotions two years prior: the production is clean, even punchy, emphasizing the big pop hooks that drive so many of the tunes. At times, Against Me! can recall college rock heroes of the past -- H?sker D? hang heavy over the proceedings, particularly on "12:03," a coiled expression of love angst -- but whenever Grace flirts with the past she suggests a future: she's claiming an unspoken queer tradition that flows through the American underground, one that comes to the surface on this albu